Authoring and Delivering Adaptive Web-Based Textbooks Using WEAR

1. Authoring and Delivering Adaptive Web-Based Textbooks Using WEAR Maria Moundridou & Maria Virvou Department of Informatics, University of Piraeus {mariam, mvirvou}@unipi.gr

2. Outline • Introduction • WEAR • Models of WEAR • Domain model • Learner model • Instructor model • Adaptive navigation support • Authoring of adaptive navigation support

3. Introduction • Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems • Two main adaptive hypermedia technologies: • Adaptive presentation • Adaptive navigation support • Authoring tools for Web-based courses

4. WEAR • WEb-based authoring tool for Algebra-Related domains • allows the authoring of adaptive electronic textbooks by instructors and delivers them over the WWW to learners

5. Models of WEAR • To achieve its aims, WEAR is based on three models: • Domain model • Learner model • Instructor model

6. Domain model • Knowledge about the subject matter, structured as a network of hierarchically organised topics • Links between nodes of the network represent relationships between topics: • is_prerequisite_of • is_related_to • Each topic has an associated difficulty level

7. Learner model • For each topic of the domain model the learner model stores two attribute-value pairs: • read • knowledge weight • Combination of a stereotype and an overlay student model • Stereotype for initial classification of students

8. Instructor model • Mainly holds information obtained explicitly by the instructor: • long-term preferences (e.g. difficulty of the course) • how the students’ knowledge level should be calculated

9. Adaptive navigation support • Adaptive link annotation • Using the information stored in each learner’s model and the domain knowledge WEAR generates a TOC consisting of links to every topic. The links are annotated in order to inform students about the appropriateness of the topic behind them • Five topic states: • Visited but Not Known • Visited and Known • Not Ready • Ready and Highly Recommended • Ready and Recommended

10. Authoring for adaptive navigation (Authoring procedure) • The author prepares HTML files for the topics of the electronic textbook • Then, s/he uploads these files to WEAR server using the system’s facilities • For each uploaded file the author specifies a title, a difficulty level and its position in the topics hierarchy • Finally, the author edits the relationships between topics • The author may also create multiple choice tests or problems and associate them with the appropriate topics

11. Authoring for adaptive navigation (Authoring support) • Authors are provided with tools that verify the course’s consistency and report possible problems or errors • The instructor and learner models are used to provide instructors (authors) with more intelligent and individualised help: • instructors are offered the choice to see what other instructors have done • students’ performance consistent with instructor’s long-term goals?

12. Summary • WEAR is an authoring tool for adaptive Web-based courses • Based on a domain model authored by the instructional designer and on individual learner models, WEAR provides to students adaptive navigation support • WEAR also deals with modelling the other class of its users: the instructors. • By combining the information of all of the above-mentioned models, WEAR besides providing adaptive navigation to students, it supports instructors in authoring consistent and efficient courses.

13. Comments & Questions Maria Moundridou: mariam@unipi.gr Maria Virvou: mvirvou@unipi.gr